Buddhist view- they're illusions caused by your own negative emotions that you may overcome by letting go of negative emotions like fear.

Moslem view- they're Djinn who are haunting you.

Skeptical view- there is not enough data to say what they are and it would be very hard to come up with an experiment to know what they are.

Please don't overgeneralize religions like that. Even traditional Christians wouldn't view them as "familiars" though. Demons maybe, but not familiars. And even then, it would be more along the "fundamentalist" line than the "traditionalist" line. They are very distinct.

When I was in my 20's, I had fairly frequent episodes of sleep paralysis, which could make me feel frustrated and anxious. However, usually after 2 or 3 minutes, I would either wake up, or I would drift back into a dream and then wake up. After I assured myself that I was awake and O.K., I'd just think, "Sometimes my sleeping brain can sure do some wacky things."

- Here are some good sources for information about sleep paralysis -- (ctrl + to enlarge small text)

- Article - "9 Ways To Wake Up From Sleep Paralysis" by Ryan Hurd" - www.ld4all.com Ryan says what works best to break out of sleep paralysis is to - scrunch up your face, snarl, and squint. - Do this 3 times in a row.

Buddhist view- they're illusions caused by your own negative emotions that you may overcome by letting go of negative emotions like fear.

Moslem view- they're Djinn who are haunting you.

Skeptical view- there is not enough data to say what they are and it would be very hard to come up with an experiment to know what they are.

Please don't overgeneralize religions like that. Even traditional Christians wouldn't view them as "familiars" though. Demons maybe, but not familiars. And even then, it would be more along the "fundamentalist" line than the "traditionalist" line. They are very distinct.

It's Catholics and the orthodox whom use "familiar" for a demon that's haunting one, as well as one that's just serving a witch or diviner (who are also seen as being haunted by this type of demon. I'm less familiar with the complexities of Protestant belief though (even though expose to all three branches of mainstream Christianity growing up). Skepticism is not a belief or religion; instead it just a method of testing data. Atheism is a belief, though rarely a religion.

"There is only one God and his name is Death.And there is only one thing we say to death "not today"- Syrio Forel

Buddhist view- they're illusions caused by your own negative emotions that you may overcome by letting go of negative emotions like fear.

Moslem view- they're Djinn who are haunting you.

Skeptical view- there is not enough data to say what they are and it would be very hard to come up with an experiment to know what they are.

Lucid Dreamers' View - Regardless of what religion you are (Or aren't) there illusions caused by sleep paralysis.

Couldn't agree with you more, WildCat23!

Snaggle wrote: Atheism is a belief, though rarely a religion.

Atheism is neither a belief nor a religion. Atheism is a particular kind of disbelief, namely, disbelief in God or deities. And I would also argue that one can be both an atheist and a believer in a metaphysical realm populated by spirits, or an afterlife if you prefer.

When it comes to Thor, or Neptune, you are an atheist, Snaggle. Likewise, the Christian and the Muslim. And yet, they don't necessarily believe that perceived presences in sleep paralysis are hallucinated.

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

Lucid Dreamers' View - Regardless of what religion you are (Or aren't) there illusions caused by sleep paralysis.- Wildcat23

That's not the lucid dreamer's view. The Old Hag esperience is separate from the Sleep Paralysis experience, even though they often occur together. You can go here to extend your vision of them http://www.shadowpeople.org/

Summerland

Atheism is neither a belief nor a religion. Atheism is a particular kind of disbelief, namely, disbelief in God or deities. And I would also argue that one can be both an atheist and a believer in a metaphysical realm populated by spirits, or an afterlife if you prefer.

When it comes to Thor, or Neptune, you are an atheist, Snaggle. Likewise, the Christian and the Muslim. And yet, they don't necessarily believe that perceived presences in sleep paralysis are hallucinated.

Atheism is not disbelief - that's what skepticism is. Atheism proper is a belief that life originated purely by natural means and necessitates a belief either that the world and life always existed or that life was generated abioticly and that it by natural processes evolved into different forms and atheism proper is always combined with the idea that there's no spirit or soul. It's polar opposit is montheism and in between them is the idea of polytheism or that deities evolved from chaos and then created the world and life as we know it. These are all "innate ideas" that exist as personality modalities in every human and should not be confused with the religions or ideologies that attach themselves to them. The question is which is true. Those whom believe in one of them without proof and disproof of the others are "believers".

Skeptics doubt everything and demand evidence for everything, as skepticism is inductive reasoning. The believers are always both credulous and dogmatic. Dogmatic Atheists tend to think they're "skeptics" because they dislieve in religions and spirits and make fun of the Skeptical Atheists (AKA Agnostics) and usually call them "Weak Atheists" or some such term. Even though I have hopes that you may evolve into an Agnostic right now you're a Dogmatic Atheists in contrast to Peter who's an Agnostic. Skepticism is the doubting of everything and the demand that one tests everything. If one is a skeptic one always doubts one's own prejudice most of all.

As for Thor he's the son of my ancestor and spirit/dream guide Oden, and as an Yngling I'm also a descendant of Njordr and Freyr, also Tyr - it's fun to be a descendant of gods even if one does not believe in them

"There is only one God and his name is Death.And there is only one thing we say to death "not today"- Syrio Forel

Erm... that's not atheism. I suppose Peter is an agnostic about Santa Claus, too...

As I said before, you don't have to be a materialist to be an atheist. Atheism is simply disbelief in God or deities.

The agnostic is, by definition, unsure because he is misinformed. He erroneously believes the probability of God's existence to be 50/50. The atheist knows better. The atheist knows that, as science so far demonstrates, God's non-existence is 99% probable, in other words, the Almighty is as probable as the tooth fairy. The 1% is reserved for Deists, who espouse the belief in a Creator that takes no interest in His creations (or in the least doesn't interfere in their affairs) - a deity who abandoned His cosmic masterpiece even. But science also demonstrates that a universe could have arisen from simple beginnings without the aid of a god. Science demonstrates that we can cut the middle man.

And, btw, someone like Thomas Hobbes was a materialist who allegedly believed in God in the Tradutionistic sense. (Althought I think he was really an in-the-closet atheist.)

As for your oxymoron of unreason in relation to Thor...I rest my case...

[ Post made via Android ]

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

I have had many episodes of sleep paralysis over the years and mostly, now I know what it is, I am calm and just enjoy the experience. Occasionally is leads to an OBE but every now and then I get one which comes with a level of disorrientation which often brings with it fear, hallucinations and very strange experiences. Shadowy figures, voices and feelings of dread.

Last night I woke up into paralysis but wasn't fully aware of what was happening. Also, I was wearing a sleep mask which really confused me while I was in this state. I frantically clawed at the mask to try and clear my eyes. Now remember that I was disorriented and not fully aware that I was in a state of semi paralysis. When I eventually removed the mask I could see a strange colourful creature about the size of a dog on top of my wardrobe. It was staring at me and as soon as I made eye contact with it the creature got up and flew off the wardrobe and then faded, as though it had teleported. At this point my paralysis ended and I was left with this feeling of terrible anxiety. Knowing that I had just come out of paralysis I was able to calm myself and get back to sleep but I still can't explain what I saw. This is the first time, even after all these years, that I have seen something so tangible while in paralysis.

It's unfortunate that it is so difficult to make sleep paralysis happen. The best way to learn to work with it is to spend more time in the condition. I'd really like to try it and try it again and again at will.

Id say its your mind beginning to create the dream world around you and if your scared of the dark your natural thoughts are related to fear and that's why you are experiencing these fearful like things. If you go into sleep paralysis again id recommend trying to go into a lucid dream. "Think happy thoughts".